Kundapur: College Student Drowns in Suligundi Hirehole
Kundapur: The body of a final-year B.Com student who went missing after drowning while swimming in the Suligundi Hirehole stream at Arbettu near Tekkatte was recovered on Sunday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Samaraj (21), a resident of Garikematha in Saibrakatte, police said.
Incident Details
Samaraj had gone swimming in Suligundi Hirehole on the evening of June 13 at around 4:30 p.m. He reportedly got caught in a strong water current and drowned, following which he went missing.
Search Operation by Eshwar Malpe and Team
Upon receiving information about the incident, renowned diver Eshwar Malpe and his team rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. Despite heavy rainfall since the early hours of Sunday, the team continued its efforts using oxygen cylinders and diving equipment to search the deeper sections of the stream.
Following an intensive search, the team located and recovered Samaraj’s body from the middle portion of the water body.
Demand for Scuba Diving Equipment in Fire and Emergency Services
In the wake of the incident, Nagaraj Putran of Jeevan Mitra Ambulance Service said he would submit a memorandum to Health Minister U.T. Khader, urging the government to appoint trained scuba divers in every Fire and Emergency Services unit across the state and provide them with modern diving equipment.
He stated that trained divers are essential for saving lives and carrying out timely rescue operations whenever drowning incidents occur. According to him, Fire and Emergency Services personnel should not be limited to firefighting duties alone but should also be equipped and trained to undertake water rescue and body recovery operations.
Nagaraj Putran expressed concern that many fire service units currently lack trained diving personnel and the necessary equipment to respond effectively to such emergencies. He urged the government to take the matter seriously and ensure that all Fire and Emergency Services units in Karnataka are equipped with trained scuba divers and modern rescue gear in the future.